The present invention relates to an apparatus to aid a golfer in retrieving a plurality of golf balls from a playing surface and storing them within the apparatus. Additionally, the device can be used to dispense the balls individually.
Golfing is an extremely popular sport for all ages and is enjoyed worldwide. The sport is often started early in life and is continued until the player is no longer able to physically play the game.
It is critical to the sport for the player to develop consistent playing methods in order to improve his or her game. Players at all skill levels practice refining their techniques to ensure repeatability and to allow them to focus on a specific area they are working on. Generally, a player will practice hitting using a large number of balls in order to allow him or her to concentrate on a certain shot or club without having to retrieve the ball after each shot. However, there is considerable difficulty using a large number of balls to practice if the player does not have a device to help him or her handle the balls.
There have been a number of devices developed to help facilitate practicing with a large number of balls. They aid the player by reducing the time it takes to retrieve the balls and to provide a storage mechanism in which the balls can be removed for play. One of these devices is the Golf Ball Pick-Up Device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,146. This device will retrieve and dispense golf balls during practice. However, as clearly seen by the detailed description in this patent, it is a complicated device, requiring a significant number of parts that have to be manufactured and assembled. Therefore, the product is expensive to manufacture and complicated to use. Additionally, due to the relatively expensive design the cost is prohibitive for some golfers.
There have been a number of other attempts to resolve this issue using a design that includes a pickup tube with a storage bag attached to the end as shown on the Golf Ball Pickup U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,716. The storage bag on these devices typically has a zipper to escape the balls after they have been retrieved using grippers on the end of the tube. The problem with this device is that it is not easy to escape one ball at a time and, therefore, the user generally dumps the balls on the ground through the open zipper and cannot control the number of balls dispensed. If the player only wants one ball at a time, he or she is forced to unzip the bag, grab a ball and rezip the bag to prevent the other balls from coming out. Generally, these types of designs do not have legs in order to stand them up and, therefore, require the user to bend over to retrieve a ball from the storage bag.
Another apparatus that has been developed for this use is the Ergonomic Ball Retriever and Dispenser, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,133. This device allows the user to retrieve a plurality of balls, store them within a body and access the storage area from an opening at the top of the device. However, as can be seen in the patent drawings of this device, in order for the user to use one ball at a time he or she must reach down into the storage unit and retrieve the ball by hand. This action interrupts the player""s practice and breaks his or her concentration resulting in a less productive practice session.
An additional apparatus that has been previously developed is the Golf Ball Dispensing and Retrieving System U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,101. This device will retrieve and dispense golf balls. However, as can be seen by the detailed description and related figures in this patent, the ball control method, referred to as the trigger, lever, stop and detent assembly in the patent, partially extends beyond the tubular body. This protruding portion is called the detent 30 and can be seen in FIG. 5A in the patent. The detent is critical to the design in this device and cannot be eliminated because it can""t pickup a ball if the ball control assembly is moved into the tub. In this invention, the center of the ball must travel past the tip of the abutment 38 before the tube contacts the ground. It can be easily seen that this protruding section would damage delicate playing surfaces of a golf course when it is forced over a ball while attempting to retrieve the ball into the tube. Once the center of the ball moves past the tip abutment, the tendency of the device is to accelerate toward the ground because the user is applying a downward force. Therefore, the detent hits the ground relatively hard, leaving a damaged area. This makes the product significantly less desirable for use on golf course putting greens because they have delicate soft surfaces. Additionally, because the detent extends well beyond the end of the tube, as shown in the referred to patent FIG. 5G, it is susceptible to damage during use. As can be seen in this figure, if the user forces the device over the ball hard, the detent will contact the ground and possibly bend or break. The extended detent would also make it difficult or impossible to retrieve golf balls from the bottom of putting cups because the bottom of putting cups are generally tapered downward allowing the ball to rest down in the middle. Therefore, the bottom of the cup does not have the clearance room needed for the detent to function correctly. The device also requires a long slanted front base referred to as front face 36 in the referenced patent. This face serves to rotate the lever to the open position while it is being forced over a ball. This slanted front face requires the detent to be longer than desirable, extending significantly beyond the end of the tube. This extended detent can be awkward to handle and may snag on clothing or possibly cause injury while carrying the device. Another disadvantage of this device is that it uses a strap on the outside of the tube to mount the ball control mechanism. It can be seen that the strap is exposed all the way around the tube and could be damaged or slid up or down the tube during use moving the entire assembly out of position.
Therefore, a simple, inexpensive and easy-to-use device that will allow a player to retrieve a plurality of balls, store them within a body and dispense them one at a time as needed during practice is desired and would serve to make practicing more productive and enjoyable. A device is also needed which will permit retrieval and dispensing of balls without damaging the playing surface.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that does not require the player to use his or her hand to remove balls from storage;
(b) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that can be used without damaging delicate playing surfaces such as golf course putting greens;
(c) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that will store a plurality of balls and allow the player to dispense one ball at a time using the end of his or her golf club to activate the dispensing mechanism;
(d) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that is inexpensive and simple to manufacture;
(e) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that is light weight and simple to use;
(f) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that is robustly designed for reliable use; and
(g) to provide a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye making it an attractive part of the player""s golfing equipment;
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
In accordance with the present invention, a golf ball retrieving, storing and dispensing device, comprising a plastic molded body with attached legs, lever and ball guide. The body consists of a handle for carrying, a hollow interior for ball storage, and an opening at one end to allow balls to enter or exit. The opening for allowing the balls to enter and exit is sized to accommodate golf balls having a larger diameter than the standard size.